Help where to go from the 15th October 2011
Discussion
I would like some holiday ideas for me and my partner. We are looking to go away for a week from the 15th of October but do not have a clue where to go. All we would like is somewhere hot and relaxed. The budget is up to £1500 all in for the two of us.
So has anyone got a idea?
Thanks
So has anyone got a idea?
Thanks
Egypt - Red Sea. Will still be 30-odd this month, and will fit in your budget going AI - should give you some decent 4-star options in/near Sharm.
Relaxed? As long as you don't go into Naama Bay centre (which is grief/hassle-city), it'll be nicely chilled and the water is truly fantastic - regularly in the Top-3 snorkelling/diving destinations globally.
Do some googling to find out where your resort is vs where stuff to do is and good off-beach snorkelling. Alternatively, if you can fly Thurs from Gatwick, consider Marsa Alam, which is supposed to have some stunning AI resorts, some of the best reefs, and is a day-trip away from Luxor etc.
Relaxed? As long as you don't go into Naama Bay centre (which is grief/hassle-city), it'll be nicely chilled and the water is truly fantastic - regularly in the Top-3 snorkelling/diving destinations globally.
Do some googling to find out where your resort is vs where stuff to do is and good off-beach snorkelling. Alternatively, if you can fly Thurs from Gatwick, consider Marsa Alam, which is supposed to have some stunning AI resorts, some of the best reefs, and is a day-trip away from Luxor etc.
There's a lot more than that.
First, what do you want to do:-
- if you want to go diving, then hotel quality (and proximity to good bars/rest'ts) is more important. That said, Tiran and Ras Mohamed (both near "Sharm") are still supposed to be the best areas for diving in the Red Sea, from what I can tell.
- if you want to do lots of snorkeling, then research the best resorts for snorkeling - Sharm overall and Marsa Alam keep coming up the best there, esp. for "off the beach/jetty" snorkeling.
- if you just want sun, sand and sangria, then location is less important (and you'll probably get a cheaper deal to the Canaries).
"Sharm" has spread out into lots of sub-resorts, from south to north:-
- "old sharm", which is closest to the point and which has the (apparently superb) Ras Um Sid snorkeling/diving area right by it. Old Sharm town though seemed rather a dive when we went there, couldn't wait to leave, but others have quite liked the (comparative) authenticity.
- Naama Bay, which is the oldest of the "new resorts", and probably the most diverse for bars/restaurants/etc. Coral in the bay itself is pretty mediocre but lots (LOTS) of fish. A very short taxi away you have the expensive resorts of Sofitel/Hyatt etc. by the Near/Middle/Far Gardens (the best overall snorkelling in the Sharm area, alongside Ras Um Sid. Offshore from here was where the shark attack was though, if you worry about that sort of thing). Sometimes called Taba Heights area.
- Sharks Bay is just further up and supposed to be quite good (no sharks really).
- Past that you've the new development of Nabq Bay which is near to the "commercial centre" of Soho Square (sounds rather like the fake souks in Dubai near the Burj Al Arab).
Beyond Sharm (up the coast) you've Dahab and IIRC another resort I can't remember.
And then across the "Suez" fork of the Red Sea, on the mainland, you've got (north to south) El Gouna, Hurgada, and Marsa Alam, the last of which I've looked long and hard at because it seems to offer great snorkeling without the hassle hazard...BUT it's going to be AI and we'll be stuck in the resort, effectively. So we're probably going to do Sharm again next time, Hyatt if I can afford it.
(Big plus of the mainland resorts is you can do a day-trip to e.g. Luxor - it's a lot more difficult from Sharm/Dahab)
In any town/resort centre you WILL get hassle from shop/restaurant owners (Some will take a polite "la, shukran" first time, others will be REALLY pushy!!!), so an AI deal may be better...but then you're stuck with buffet food and the associated health risks!
(We did B&B last time, were very careful where we ate and used hand-gel after handling money, and we were fine. Colleague at work did the same last year and was also fine, her parents go AI every time and always get upset stomachs and another colleague went to a 5* AI this year and her hubby also got an upset stomach)
I'd spend a couple of hours on the TripAdvisor forum narrowing down where you like the sound of. Then try and narrow down the resorts that sound good and have the right location. Then see who's offering the best deal. (BTW, Monarch's flights seem to be worse than average, and EasyJet don't seem any cheaper than the others, so a package may still be the best bet)
First, what do you want to do:-
- if you want to go diving, then hotel quality (and proximity to good bars/rest'ts) is more important. That said, Tiran and Ras Mohamed (both near "Sharm") are still supposed to be the best areas for diving in the Red Sea, from what I can tell.
- if you want to do lots of snorkeling, then research the best resorts for snorkeling - Sharm overall and Marsa Alam keep coming up the best there, esp. for "off the beach/jetty" snorkeling.
- if you just want sun, sand and sangria, then location is less important (and you'll probably get a cheaper deal to the Canaries).
"Sharm" has spread out into lots of sub-resorts, from south to north:-
- "old sharm", which is closest to the point and which has the (apparently superb) Ras Um Sid snorkeling/diving area right by it. Old Sharm town though seemed rather a dive when we went there, couldn't wait to leave, but others have quite liked the (comparative) authenticity.
- Naama Bay, which is the oldest of the "new resorts", and probably the most diverse for bars/restaurants/etc. Coral in the bay itself is pretty mediocre but lots (LOTS) of fish. A very short taxi away you have the expensive resorts of Sofitel/Hyatt etc. by the Near/Middle/Far Gardens (the best overall snorkelling in the Sharm area, alongside Ras Um Sid. Offshore from here was where the shark attack was though, if you worry about that sort of thing). Sometimes called Taba Heights area.
- Sharks Bay is just further up and supposed to be quite good (no sharks really).
- Past that you've the new development of Nabq Bay which is near to the "commercial centre" of Soho Square (sounds rather like the fake souks in Dubai near the Burj Al Arab).
Beyond Sharm (up the coast) you've Dahab and IIRC another resort I can't remember.
And then across the "Suez" fork of the Red Sea, on the mainland, you've got (north to south) El Gouna, Hurgada, and Marsa Alam, the last of which I've looked long and hard at because it seems to offer great snorkeling without the hassle hazard...BUT it's going to be AI and we'll be stuck in the resort, effectively. So we're probably going to do Sharm again next time, Hyatt if I can afford it.
(Big plus of the mainland resorts is you can do a day-trip to e.g. Luxor - it's a lot more difficult from Sharm/Dahab)
In any town/resort centre you WILL get hassle from shop/restaurant owners (Some will take a polite "la, shukran" first time, others will be REALLY pushy!!!), so an AI deal may be better...but then you're stuck with buffet food and the associated health risks!
(We did B&B last time, were very careful where we ate and used hand-gel after handling money, and we were fine. Colleague at work did the same last year and was also fine, her parents go AI every time and always get upset stomachs and another colleague went to a 5* AI this year and her hubby also got an upset stomach)
I'd spend a couple of hours on the TripAdvisor forum narrowing down where you like the sound of. Then try and narrow down the resorts that sound good and have the right location. Then see who's offering the best deal. (BTW, Monarch's flights seem to be worse than average, and EasyJet don't seem any cheaper than the others, so a package may still be the best bet)
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